Railroad switch



1,661,040 M. GERVASIO RAILROAD SWITCH Filed March 24 1926 2 Sheetgwhget 1 Feb. 28, 1928.

E ?T Q flJ-l M "Inventor all. eryaa/o Attorney 7 Feb. 28, I928. 1,661,040

M. GERVASIO' RAILROAD SWITCH Filed March 24. 1926 2S11eets-Sheet 2 dltorney A? Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITEDSTA ES MICHAEL'GERVASIO, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

- RAILROAD swrron.

Application filed March 24, 1926. Serial 110. 97,072.

The present invention relatestoa shield-- ing device for railroad switches and has for its principal object to provide a structure for protecting theswitch from snow and the like, so that the switch may be efiiciently operated at all times in a fairly reliable manner.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a highly novel device of this nature which is simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture in comparison to the expenses incident to labor in keeping switches open at the present time, one which is durable and not likelyto easily become out of order and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed. 1 i v With theabove andnumerous other objects in view as will appear as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully. described, and claimed.

In the drawings z-- Figure 1 is a top lan view of a railroad switch showing my siielding structure associated therewith,

Figure 2 is a transverse section therethrough taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1. g i v a Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the hinged shielding elements.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one jof the movable shielding elements. i

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the fixed shielding elements.

Figure 6 is a detail view taken substantially on theline 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 isa detail view of the arcuate slots.

Referring to the drawings in detail i will be seen that I have illustrated in the drawings a conventional form ofrailroad switch mounted in the usual well known manner on ties 5. For the purposes of this description I shallrefer to the fixed outer rails of the switch by the numerals 6 and the inner. movable rails by numerals 7 The rails 7 are switched in theusual manner by an operating mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 8. l i

Shield plates 9 are fixed to the inner sides of the bases of the rails 7 to extend therebetween. The connections 10 between the bases of the rails 7 and shield plates 9 are 9 and forwardly of the free ends of the rails]? and prevent snow from fiowing or driftlng between one of the rails 7 and one of the rails 6 when thereis a space therebetween such as is shown in the lower p0rtion of Figure 1. These shield elements 11 are illustrated to particular advantage in Figures 5 and 6 and have base portions 12, and raised portions 13. The base portions 12 are fixedto theadjacent ties by suitable fastening elements, the height of the shield element being such as to allow the flanges of the vehicle wheel to readily clear the same.

Shield plates l t have their outer edges fixed to theties by suitable fastening elements and are bowed upwardly and inward-. ly under the outside of the heads of rails 6 as ismore clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

In order to prevent the collection of snow between rails -6 and 7, I utilize two movable shielding elements designated generally by the letters A and B. The elements B are substantially triangular in formation havheads of the rails 6 and 7 as is shown in Figure 2. The base ends of the elements B are located adjacent the pivots of the rails 7 as is shown to advantage in Figure 1, while the apices thereof terminate a distance from the free ends of said rails. These elements B do not interfere in any way with the movement of the rails 7 and have one side thereof in close proximity to the rails 6. When a rail 7 moves away from the corresponding rail 6 a space is 1e between the other side of the corresponding element B and the corresponding railw7 as is illustrated in the lower portion of Figure 1. As is illustrated in the upper portion of Figure 1 the elements B are triangular shapedto permit the rails 7 to bemoved so. that their free ends abut against the rails 6. The additional shield element A is supplementary to the shield elements B and are hinged to the rails 7; Each shield element A includes a body and a right angularly disposed longitudinal flange 21. Hinge elements 22 are engaged with the fiange 2i and with the rails 7. Some of the hinge elements 22 are engaged througlrthe intermediacy of blocks 22' as the hinge elements should have their pivots located immediately below the outer sides of the heads of the rails 7. The webs of the rails 7 are provided with arcuate openings 24 for receiving arcuate bolts attached to the body 20. Elprings 26 are disposed on the arcuate bolts 25 to impinge against the bodies 20 and the webs of the rails 7 for-normally holding the bodies 20 raised as is indicated to the right hand side of Figure 2 under the corresponding element B. Only a portion 01" the element overlaps the body 20. 'It will also be seen that when the switch is operated one of the elements A will be swung to the position shown to the left of Figure 2 while the other element A will spring upwardly to, the position to the rightof Figure 2. The free edges of the body 20 are curved asis indicated at 28 for engaging the head of the adjacent rail 6 in order that the elementA may be swung downwardly to an out of the way position as the rail 7 approaches the rail 6.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of this invention will now be clearly understood by those skilled in this art without any more detailed description thereof. The presentembodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail merely by way of example since in actual practice it attains the features of ad'- vantages enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. 'It will be apparent that numerous changes in the details of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is v l. A railroad switch shielding mechanism, wherein the switch includes a pair of outer fixed rails and a pair of inner movable rails, comprising shield elements fixed to the outside of the fixedrails, shield elements mounted between and fixed to the movable rails, and movable shield elements between the movable rails and the fixed rails, one of said movable elements being provided with apertures, bolts rising through said apertures, and springs onthe bolts holding said last-mentioned elements normally raised.

2. A railroad switch shielding mechanism, wherein the switch includes a pair of outer fixed rails and a pair of inner movable rails, comprising shield elements fixed to the outside of the fixed rails, shield elements mounted between and fixed to the movable rails, and movable shield elements between the movable rails and the fixed rails, one of said movable elements being provided with apertures, bolts rising through said apertures, springs on the bolts holding said lastmentioned element normally raised, and the other of said elements hinged tothe movable rails and springs associated therewith for normally holding said other element raised.

A shielding structure for railroad switches, wherein theswitch includes a fixed rail and. a movable rail comprising a shield element hinged to the movable railand having a free edge curved downwardlyfor engaging the fixed rail, arcuate bolts piercing the web of the movable rail and fixed to the shield element and springs on said bolts between the element and the web of the movable rail for normally holding the element.

raised.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MICHAEL) GERVASIO. 

